INNOVATIONSINHIGHEREDUCATION
The importance of observation, documentation, and assessment are echoed in NAEYC’ s position statements( NAEYC 2019, 2020a, 2020b). Educators are called to assess“ in ways that are ethically grounded and developmentally, culturally, ability, and linguistically appropriate to document developmental progress and promote positive outcomes”( NAEYC 2020b, 15). Mentor teachers can model this for preservice teachers in two ways: As mentors work directly with children( while the candidates observe and assist) and as they observe, document, and assess candidates.
Observing, documenting, and assessing candidates can take a variety of forms and methods. For example, some have used video recordings to document the progress of preservice and in-service educators( Schachter & Gerde 2019; Packard et al. 2022). The mentor teacher and preservice teacher can view a recording together, with the mentor offering feedback and eliciting the candidate’ s questions, reflections, and goals for the future. Mentors can use these recordings to show how preservice teachers’ practices have changed over time, such as the difference between the first and tenth read aloud, making the growth concrete and clearer to candidates.
There are several other types of documentation mentor teachers can collect from preservice teachers( Brown 2018; NAEYC 2020b). These could include lesson plans, observation notes, feedback to children, and communication with families. When mentor teachers collect and use these artifacts to guide conversations with candidates, they provide the same“ ongoing, strategic, reflective, and purposeful” assessment practices they use with young children( 2020a, 19).
Asking preservice teachers to reflect on their growth by looking at recordings, work samples, and other documentation can be a rich and productive experience. Because teacher candidates often focus more on the challenges they face( Barry 2024), it can be hard for them to notice their improvement. Mentors can help mentees see their growth using the same developmentally appropriate approaches they use with young children, as demonstrated in the vignette below.
Throughout Olivia’ s field work in Ms. Monica’ s Head Start classroom, Ms. Monica has kept examples of Olivia’ s work. In one instance, Ms. Monica saved the first lesson plan Olivia made in order to compare it with later lesson plans. When the two meet, Ms. Monica points out how much Olivia’ s lesson plans have improved. There are stronger links between objectives and assessments, instructional steps include more hands-on materials and active engagement, and plans for differentiation are more tailored to individual learners. Olivia recognizes that she too has undergone a fundamental period of growth and development in the same way as the children in the classroom.
Ms. Monica also recorded two of Olivia’ s lessons: One from her first time leading a small group activity and then two months later. Ms. Monica asks Olivia about any differences she notices between the two
80 Young Children
Summer 2026